THE federal opposition has accused LABOR of backflip over support for Greens bill on petrol sniffing

THE federal opposition has accused the Greens of doing a "grubby deal" with Labor in return for government support for the mandatory roll out of non-sniffable Opal fuel in remote regions of Australia.

The Senate today debated an Australian Greens private members bill aimed at combating petrol sniffing among children and teenagers by forcing a minority of petrol stations that refuse to sell the non-sniffable fuel to participate in the Opal program.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert said gaps in the current voluntary program needed to be plugged.

“Petrol sniffing does not contain self-contained borders,” she told senators.

“There needs to be a national approach to mandating the fuel supply in these zones rather than leaving it up to individual states and territories.”

Opal fuel discourages petrol sniffing because it does not give off aromatic fumes that give users a high.

There have been outbreaks of petrol sniffing in Central Australia in places such as Papunya, Titjikala and Alpurrurlam because Tilmouth Well Roadhouse, Maryvale Station Store and Urandangi Roadhouse are not stocking the low aromatic fuel.

There are 123 petrol stations selling Opal fuel in remote Australia.

Northern Territory Labor senator Trish Crossin said Labor would support the private members bill, with amendments.

“It is another step along the way in ensuring young Aboriginal lives are not destroyed because the only end to their day is to stick their nose in a can of petrol and sniff it,” she said.

But opposition indigenous affairs spokesman Nigel Scullion said the Greens had made “grubby deal” with the government.

“This is a second class solution for the first Australians,” he said.”

“Central Australians will be dying to hear what the issue was that they were traded off against.”

In September, a parliamentary committee with a Labor majority rejected the Greens bill.

“It really really beggars belief for me ... that we suddenly have a backflip. I'm a bit cranky about it,” Senator Scullion said.

The senator also said the bill was flawed because petrol stations that acted as sole traders or partnerships wouldn't be caught under the legislation.

“It won't work because it effectively relies on corporation powers,” he told the Senate.

The opposition favours state and territory legislation instead.

AAP

Labor accused of backflip over support for Greens bill on petrol sniffing | The Australian:

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